Principal photography is set to begin Thursday in Pasadena on Matt Kelsey’s independent drama “Above Ground.”
Kelsey makes his directorial debut with the feature, which he also wrote.
An official summary of “Above Ground” reads, “When a once-successful writer Tom (Kelsey) retreats from the world after a devastating loss, he’s forced to confront his isolation and the ghosts of his past. Through unexpected connections and painful self-discovery, he begins to uncover what it truly means to come back to life.”
Kelsey describes the screenplay as being “written in the vein of a Chekhov play.”
He said in a statement, “No superheroes, no car chases, drug cartels, shootings, just how we live, love, process loss, and ultimately carry on. I wrote ‘Above Ground’ as an ode to loss and hope for the future.”
A graduate of London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, Kelsey’s 2021 short “Her Place” earned multiple awards as it made its way through the film festival circuit.
The “Above Ground” cast also includes Christian Zuber (“Fly Me to the Moon,” “The Morning Show”), Marion Kerr (“Her Place,” “Criminal Minds”), Craig Thomas (“Source Code,” “I’m Not There”) and Austin Woods (“American Horror Story,” “American Horror Stories”).
“At its core, this is very much a hero’s journey, Tom is sort of an Odysseus, except he can’t go back to Ithaca, his home is his deceased wife,” Kelsey said. “How do you survive when there is no home to go back to? It’s also a deeply personal admission of my own battle with the demons of mental health, hopefully showing others that it’s a very human trait, and none of us are totally ‘normal’ or ‘OK.’ It’s OK to not be Ok.”
Kenn Viselman joined the project as producer under his production company, Kenn Viselman presents.
“It’s very rare to experience a story so raw, so authentic, so vulnerable and so real,” Viselman said. “One minute you find yourself grappling with the pain of losing someone you love and then you find yourself unexpectedly laughing at the joy of being alive. This is a very special little film.”
Director of photography is Charles Schner (“Captain America: Civil War,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Insurgent,” “American Horror Story”) with Dallin Burns (“Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” “Rebel Moon 1” and “2” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 2”) as composer and music supervisor. Celebrated Hollywood stylist Johnny Wujek (“Legendary,” “America’s Next Top Model,” “Project Runway All Stars”) serves as costume designer and art director. Michael Yanivich (“Waltzing with Brando,” “Face Off”) is the editor.
